


Date Fright

by MadameScarletPhantom



Category: Monster High
Genre: F/M, First Dates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2019-01-26 13:59:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12558916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadameScarletPhantom/pseuds/MadameScarletPhantom
Summary: Neighthan is invited out on a date by the ghoul of his dreams, Frankie. The day leading up to the big date, his friends try to help him prepare for what might be the most important night of his life.





	Date Fright

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written a fan fiction in forever, and I've never tackled Monster High, either. I hope I nailed the characters in this short one-shot. Let me know what you thought of my little fiction in the comments section.

The cool autumn air blew through the courtyard of Monster High. It promised damp rain and chilly nights; soon, it would be winter, and all remnants of summer would be gone. Already, the leaves from the trees had been raked up. There were a few stragglers here and there that splashed the ground with crimsons and yellows. 

Neighthan twirled one of the leaves between his fingers. It was a deep reddish orange one, with light brown spotting from where it had already started to dry up and crack. His blue eyes watched it with some interest, as though trying to unlock some sort of secret that only the fallen leaf knew. After a moment, he let it drop from his hand. It swirled in the wind, dancing like an ice skater, far away from him. 

There was the sound of someone coming up from behind him. It was his lunch period, so he had chosen to eat outside and enjoy the fall day. Other students were scattered along the lawn, chatting with each other or munching on food. He looked behind him to see Frankie coming down the stairs, a gentle smile on her face. 

“Hey,” he offered, standing up. He dusted his pants off. 

“Hi,” Frankie replied. She had her hands behind her back. “I have a surprise for you.” 

“Oh?” Neighthan said with interest. He stepped a little closer to her to avoid falling off of the top step--something that he did more often than he would have liked to admit. Smiling back at her, he held out his hand. “What’s that?”

She grinned now, offering out a piece of thick paper. She watched him take it, a confused look on his face. “Um,” she started. “There’s a music festival in town, starting tomorrow. I was thinking...maybe you’d like to go with me? It’s going to be totally fangtastic.” 

Neighthan’s eyes widened. “Are you sure you want to go with me?” he asked, voice hinting at surprise. “I mean, isn’t that something you’d want to take your ghoulfriends to?”

“Mmm, I could only get two tickets. It was super hard to score just those. It’s sold out.” Frankie looked concerned. “Do you not want to go?”

He shook his head hard. “No! I mean, yes! I mean...I’d love to, Frankie. It sounds clawesome.” He was grinning like a dork now, eyes focused on the ticket. “Is Catty going to be performing?”

Frankie laughed. “Yes. That’s how I managed to get these tickets to begin with. She had a few she could give out to friends and family. I asked her first, before any ghoul or manster could snatch them up. So...I’ll see you around five tomorrow night?”

“Ye-yeah!” he said, a little more forcefully than he needed to. A dark blush covered his face. “I mean, sounds good to me.” 

“Good,” she said, and hugged him a little. He froze, then wrapped his arms around her, too. It felt nice to hold her tightly to his body like that. She was warm and smelled of strawberry and mint shampoo, along with a dash of formaldehyde. It was a good combination, and he would have liked to hold her longer, but she let go and looked up into his eyes. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” With a little wave, she skipped away, going back inside.

Neighthan stood on the top of the steps, grinning like an idiot. He pocketed the ticket, turned around, and promptly fell face first down the stairs. His horn smacked the ground first, then the rest of his head. He groaned a little. “It’s a date,” he mumbled, spitting out gravel. “Holy minotaur, it’s a date.”   
***

“It’s a rock and pop festival. You shouldn’t wear something formal,” Avea said. Her hands were lost in Neighthan’s black, red, blue, and yellow hair. She was braiding it, or at least, attempting to. The thing about unicorn hair was that it was very shiny and soft, but hard to keep controlled. How he managed to pull it back into a ponytail to begin with was beyond her. “Maybe some rainbow suspenders?”

“Are suspenders in right now?” he asked with a frown. Most of the guys at school belonged to some sort of sports team, so they all wore their letterman jackets. “I thought they were kind of...I don’t know. Nerdy?”

Bonita passed Avea a brush and a few elastic bands. “Nerdy is very chic right now,” she said with a flutter of her wings. “It’s too bad you don’t wear glasses. They make mansters very handsome. At least, that’s what I’ve been reading.” 

Sirena was floating around Neighthan’s room, munching on a brain puff. The mirror had caught her attention, and she was currently trying to make it reflect light onto the ceiling. Only half listening, she put in, “Earrings are cool.”

“I’m not piercing my ears,” Neighthan said flatly. “First of all, my parents would kill me. Secondly, ouch.” His ears flattened onto his head. His eyes followed Sirena around the room as she chased the light reflected off of his watch. He twisted his wrist a few times to send it flickering up the wall. 

The three ghouls had shown up at his house, as per usual, after school for a study session. When they had heard the news about him being invited to the music festival by Frankie, school work was more or less forgotten about. Now, they were racking their collective brains, trying to figure out how to style their manster friend for his date. 

“Hmm…” Bonita stood up and went to Neighthan’s closet. She threw it open, looking inside. His wardrobe was very colorful with vibrant colors. There were a few black pieces here and there, mainly pants and a single button up shirt. “What about this?” She pulled out a teal sweater with a yellow skull on the front. “Wear it under a jacket? It’s going to be chilly tomorrow night.”

“No way,” Avea said, shaking her head. Her wings flapped slightly. “If he puts on too many layers, he’ll roast.” 

“No point in him getting sick, though,” Bonita shot back. She held up the sweater and looked at the manster. “Hm? Hmm?”

“My grandmother gave me that sweater. I haven’t worn it since last year. I don’t even know if it fits anymore.” 

Sirena darted over, stealing the sweater and throwing it on over her head. She swung her hips and tail, giggling the entire time. Bonita put her hands on her hips and sighed. “Oh!” the mermaid ghost grunted. She made her way into the closet, pulling out handful after handful of shirts and pants. “I know! This!” Finally, she came out, holding up the black, button up shirt and a pair of tight, light blue pants his mother had altered so his tail would fit through the back. “Roll up the sleeves and pop the collar!” 

“I’m not popping the collar,” Neighthan tried to say, but his friends all crowded around him with the shirt. Sirena pulled it on over his head without unbuttoning it. There was a terrible rippppppp as his horn tore through the fabric. Collectively gasping, the three ghouls all backed up. 

“Oh no! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to…” Sirena started. Her eyes flickered to his watch for a moment, and, in that instant, she completely forgot why she was sorry. 

Neighthan pulled the shirt off of his head and sighed. “It’s okay,” he said quietly.

Avea stomped her front hoof on the floor. “I know,” she said, a smirk appearing on her face. “We need to go to the maul.” She meant ‘mall,’ of course--they were pronounced the same, after all, but it was the slang that kids used. “We’ve only got maybe two hours before my parents expect me home. Let’s go now.” 

The three ghouls all looked at Neighthan expectantly. With a sigh, he nodded. “I’ll get my dad to drive us,” he said and stood up. Two seconds later, he tripped over his own feet and fell, sprawling out on his bed. “Oops,” he mumbled from almost being suffocated by his comforter. Quickly, he stood up and dusted himself off. “Be right back.” 

After he had left, Avea turned to the others. “Okay, this is important,” she said, her voice very take charge in tone. She hit the palm of her hand with her other fist. “Neighthan’s never had a real date before. He’s almost eighteen and every other ghoul has passed him by. Frankie’s super sweet. She’s perfect for him. We have to make sure this goes well for him. First things first--we have to make sure he dresses the part.” 

“There’s a new store in the maul that I think would suit him very well,” Bonita offered with a slight smile. “I was in there the other day with my mom and I saw an outfit that made me just think, ‘wow, that’s for Neighthan!’ I almost bought it for him for a present, but I’m not sure of his size.” 

“Perfect,” Avea said with a nod. “We’ll make sure to take him there, then. He should also show up with a gift for Frankie. Flowers are so last year. Chocolates are nice, but too passe.” 

“Spiders,” Sirena said, her fingers floating over Neighthan’s collection of books. “Hmm, no. Um...like, what should she get him, then? Something tots cute. Ooooh, what about a pet?”

The harpy-centaur hybrid quickly shook her head. “No. That’s too big. Something small and sweet would work fine.” There was silence as all three of them thought for a moment. Then there were footsteps outside, signaling Neighthan’s return. Avea looked at her friends for a moment, then nodded. “Get ready, ghouls. This mission is going to take all of our skills.”  
***

The smell of deep fried food and perfume filled the maul’s entryway. Neighthan and his friends entered the building. Dozens of other teenagers filled the corridors, walking from store to store with huge shopping bags. They were all chattering in groups between two or more, some drinking coffee or lattes. 

“So, where should we start?” he asked, looking for Avea to take the lead, as she normally did. He was surprised when he saw Bonita start toward one of the newer stores, beckoning the others to follow. He raised one eyebrow, but said nothing. 

“This store looks totally clawesome,” Sirena shouted with glee as she and Bonita ducked inside. The store’s walls were painted a deep crimson, similar to dried blood. There were model mannequins posing in all sorts of weird angles. They were wearing the latest fashions from around the globe, both monster and normie. There was a small section for shoes as well, at which Neighthan’s ears perked. 

“I think I should get something for my feet,” he laughed, aching to see what they had for footwear. “These old kicks are getting kind of ratty.” 

“Outfit first, shoes second,” Avea said. Her eyes were following after Bonita, who was standing now in front of a display. The mannequin was wearing a black vest over a yellow and blue long sleeved shirt with matching blue and black trousers. There was a chained wallet in the pocket of the pants for an accessory, and it had even been matched with a pair of black boots with yellow laces. “Oh, Bonita! It’s perfect for him!”

She took Neighthan’s hand and led him over to the outfit. “You’ll look great in this!”

“I...I don’t know....” he said quietly, using his free hand to look at the price tag. “Um…”

“I saw this and tots knew it would be right up his alley!” the moth-skeleton said triumphantly. 

“Guys--” Neighthan tried to speak up, but the ghouls were talking over him. 

“Oooh, this chain is so shiny…”

“The colors suit his hair and eyes so well!” 

“Frankie’s going to love this! He will look so refined yet edgy. Fashion forward!” 

“Um...GUYS!” Neighthan finally yelled a little, grabbing their attentions. “I’m really thankful for you ghouls picking this out for me, but did any of you look at the price tag? It’s nearly five hundred dollars.”

Silence. The three ghouls looked at the hybrid manster with sorrow in their eyes. He shook his head a little. “It’s okay,” he said finally. “I’m sure I’ll find something to wear. You ghouls wanna catch a bite to eat? I’m starving.” 

Defeated, the four headed to the food court. It was getting late into the evening, so it was fairly busy there with teens and young adults needing dinner. There was the odd pair of grandparents here or there, eating out with their grandkids. The smell of fast food and pizza filled the air like an invisible cloud--and it was impossible to get away from. 

There were at least a dozen mini restaurants to pick from in the food court--from pizza to greasy Chinese to sweets and pretzels. Monsters milled around between the counters, ordering and retrieving their food. 

After they had picked a table, the four hybrids went their separate ways to pick what they wanted to eat. Neighthan felt particularly zombie-ish that night, and went straight for one of the restaurants that served brain fried rice. He liked putting a little ketchup on it for a tangy taste. That, with a soda, was his supper. 

He returned to the table, setting down his styrofoam container full of food. Avea was already there with a huge garden salad. They looked at each other for a moment without saying a word at first. Then, quietly, she spoke. 

“Frankie’s good for you,” Avea said gently. “I want you to be happy, Neighthan. I think you’ll be good together.” She gave him a slight smile. “I want your date to go well.”

“You and me both,” he said as he picked at his food. He brought a bite of brain and rice to his lips. After chewing thoughtfully, he looked at her again. “Hey, Avea...is there any manster you’re into?”

She blushed brightly. “What? Me?! No, no way.” She huffed, ears flickering back and forth. 

Neighthan had always felt a connection with Avea. They were both part horse-type monster--centaur for her, unicorn for him--and shared many of the same emotional responses because of it. For the longest time, unknown to her, he had a huge crush on her. After a while, however, he realized they were nothing more than really, really good friends. They couldn’t be anything else--it would have been too weird. It would have been like dating his sister. Still, he silently wondered if she had ever felt the same about him. 

Soon, they were joined again by Bonita and Sirena, both of whom had sprung for spinach and feta cheese pizza. It smelled very good, but Neighthan was happy with his rice. The four of them chatted for some time, slowly eating their dinners without mentioning Neighthan’s impending date again. 

“Hey, guys?” he said after they had eaten. “I’ll be right back. I just have to pick up something.” He offered them a smile, then darted off into the maul, leaving the other three to look at each other in surprise.   
***

The next day of school was hard to get through. Neighthan found himself stumbling and falling more often than usual, especially whenever he saw Frankie. She was always surrounded by her beastfriends, of course. It was hard to talk to her. Still, when she saw him, she would smile and wave, biting her bottom lip slightly with a giggle. 

After the last class of the day, the two of them ran into each other in the hallway. He had fallen over his own two feet again, slamming into one of the lockers against the wall. Frankie was there before the stars had cleared from his head. She wrapped her arms around his middle and tried with all of her might to help him off of the ground. 

Neighthan was a rather solid creature, having a lot more muscle than he appeared to. He was heavy, and Frankie only succeeded in falling down beside him. “Are you okay?” he asked. 

Frankie nodded, giggling a little. “I guess I’m no fright in shining armor,” she laughed. She pushed herself up off of the ground, then offered her hand out to him. He took her slim hand in his own, and together, they managed to stand up properly. “Are you ready for tonight?”

Blushing, the manster nodded. “I, uh...I got you something.” He reached into his backpack and pulled out a small box, all wrapped up like a mummy in silver and gold paper. “I hope you like it.” 

The ghoul gently took the present from Neighthan’s hands. She stared at it for a moment, taking in how carefully it had been wrapped. There was even a little black bow on top with spider details. With a gentle smile, she slowly started to open it. Finally, once all of the paper was gone, there was a tiny, black velvet box. She flipped the lid open and gasped. Inside were two bolts, both silver, and studded with little black gems. “Oh, Neighthan, they’re beautiful!” 

He puffed out his chest proudly. “I saved up my allowance and worked at mowing a couple lawns to get them for you. I’m glad you like them.” He smiled. She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly to her. 

Down the hall, Avea, Bonita, and Sirena watched from behind a locker door. They looked at each other, and grinned. It looked like everything was going to go very, very well. 

And it did.


End file.
